The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-11-03
A TERRIBLE FIGHT.
Eight Lions and Their Trainer Battleing IL
Cage-One Lion Killed.

IONDON, Wv. lo-CaIly tuls moin!uS
there was fearful and exciting battle in
the Jubilee Exhibition at Liverpool.
Delmonico, the most plucky tanner of
beasts, has been exciting the nerves of
the visitors for a long time by triaing in
a cage with three big forest lions. Five
more lions, of different kind, but very
big also, arrived from Africa yesterday,
and were put at once into the big cage
with the three already at home there.
They had no training, but Delmonico
went in among them and thrilled the
crowd that filled the menagerie by an
unusually sensational performance.
When he had done, Mile. Kora, his
partner, went in with the lions and took
little dog. This was repeated four
times during the day, and the FIVE new
lions were too much stunned by the huge,
noisy crowd about them and the repeated
visits of the lady, gentleman and dog, to
think of anything else. Their astonish'
ment had not worn of, and they were
still quiet when left alone for the night
by the attendants at 10 o'clock.
Shortly after midnight, however, the
menagerie was filled with frightful
roaring and snarling, and a servant sleep
ing on the premises rushed in to find the
big iron cage rocking and the eight lions
fighting furiously rolled up into a huge
dark ball from which the blood stained fur
was flying in all directions. The huge
beasts rolled over and over, dashing mad.
ly against the sides of the cage, and Bit
ing pieces out of each other with a
ferocity that was sickeniDg. All the
sights organized to crafty mans fondnesS
for fighting would have seemed the tam
est child's play in comparison.
After a while it became evident that
there were two distinct sides in the bat
tie, and the new arrivals were at unfair
odds against the lions who had been in
possession. The efforts Of the servant to
separate them only increased their fury,
and at last he rushed off for Delmonico,
who was asleep near by in Edge lane.
The tanner arrived half clad and found
his lionsIbleeding fearfully but still fight
ing.
The battle was narrowing down to a
duel between two of the biggest lions,
which we're rapidly biting each other to
pieces in the middle of the cage. Occa-
sionally the battle became general, and
for a few seconds there would be a wild
tumble of suarling lions with a savage
crunching of teeth to tell how the flesh
was being torn. The appearance of Del
monico with a red hot iron produced an
effect, and all but the two chief combat
ants stopped fighting and crouched sui.
lenly down, licking their bloody wounds
and snarling encouragement to the two
leaders.
On these in their rage hot iron was
useless, even when applied to raw flesh,
The lions responded to the burning SEN
sation only by tearing away at each other
more fiercely.
At last Delmonico fearing he would
lose his two greatest actors, took reso'
luton which would probably not have
occurred to any other man if the existence
of the entire animal creation had been
threatened. He entered the cage hal
clad as he was and sh ut himself in. He
next opened door communicating with
second cage and drove into it like sc
many sheep the six lions that had beer
looking on.
Meanwhile the other lions were still
fighting, although much weaker. Del
morioo's attempts to separate them were
useless. They paid not the slightest at
tention to him, and although in tbeil
struggles they dashed against him, they
were evidently unconscious of his pres
ence.
Before the tanner could form any plar
IN separate them the fight ended of it
self. The big forest lion, who had beer
defending his home against the fv'
strangers, rolled over on his back, growl
ed family, and died as the other seize'
him again by the throat. One of from
legs was gnawed off completely, hin'
leg was chewed to pulp, all of the man
and most of the neck were bitten ava.
and the body was covered with blood, a
was the entire cage. There was not Oh
the dead lion any unbitten whole piec
of skin large enough to have made
glove. He had fought for his rights jus
as long as he had been able to work hi
teeth and claws.
The victor seemed at first inclined t
dash at the tanner and at the lions in tn
neighboriug cage, but he changed hi
mind under Delmonico's eye, and after
weak but triumphant roar over the bod
of his victim he retired into corner an
moaned over his wounds. Althougl
conqueror he was not to be enyied. Hi
name was gone and his body looked a
though an especially wicked harrow ha
been repeatedly dragged over it. Bloo
trickled from a hundred ugly wound:
and there is little hope that he will live
Curiously enough, not one of the lion
had its tail bitten off in the fray, whic
seems to indicate that some code of homo
exists among lions which prevents ther
from making each other ridiculous, eve
in the deadliest combat.
The other six lions will live, but the
were so badly bitten that only two coul
be patched up to perform to-day, an
their mangled appearance terrified Mile
Kora's little dog out Of all recollection
of his role. The loss if the second lilo
dies will be about $500. In any case b
mill o1,vavs remain q damaged lion.